When I look at this photograph it strikes me that instead of a two colour chequer pattern, as in red / black (or blue), it consists of a single dark colour, the second chequer actually being made up by the paint of the a/c.

This is especially clear at the deviding line between the top and bottom camouflage, the line crossing a "chequer".

Now I haven't been looking at Luftwaffe camouflage for a while now, but this is the first time I really take notice of this type of chequer.

If I am right, I find it even more interesting!!

The color doesn't look as strong as the Swastika (no guarantee but), doesn't look like black, could even be red.

__________________Ruy Horta12 O'Clock High!

And now I see with eye serene
The very pulse of the machine;
A being breathing thoughtful breath,
A traveller between life and death;

IIRC the color of black and white pictures depends of the quality of the film. This picture was taken with Orthochromatic film. One of the properties is that it does not reproduce red as a grey color but as black. So this picture does not show a Karoband. I have to look through my files but I'm sure there are pictures where 5012032 has clearly a checquer band.

(a quick search: in Michaël Ullmanns book Luftwaffe Colours but page?

Perhaps should A. Arnold publish here his compilation about chequerbirds?

VERY interesting, given the evidence from Merrick, I'd be tempted to say that the photo as published on p. 75 of Ullmann's Luftwaffe Colours 1935-1945, has been altered.

It is clearly the same setting, but even if you'd explain it by different film (unlikely) or filter (remote possibility), it still does not explain the three different tones as illustrated in Merrick's book, essentially corresponding to respectively 1. dark camouflage color, 2. light camouflage colour and 3. the lower surface colour.

As such I cannot be convinced it is the outcome of film or filters.

The photo in Merrick's looks like a clean print of the original, whereas the Ullmann looks like a (bad) copy.

note: this is not intended as criticism against Ullmann!

__________________Ruy Horta12 O'Clock High!

And now I see with eye serene
The very pulse of the machine;
A being breathing thoughtful breath,
A traveller between life and death;

I have been studying this kite for many years now and offer the following comments for your consideration:

The various images of this aircraft were, as Philippe notes, taken with panchromatic and orthochromatic film. Where the tailband is a single colour, this point to ortho. Indeed, that the tailband appeared all black was an important clue in confirming that the true colours were red and black. If the lighter colour was green 25 or 82, then it would still appears and a light grey shade. The yellow number retained its grey tone but red turns black. Furthermore, Merrick and Hitchcock interpreted the colours and dark blue and light green and Yellow 5 appears with a band in these colours on the cover of Monogram's "Jet Planes of the Third Reich" book. The tonal contrasts in panchromatic film for red, green 25 and light green 82 are almost identical as can bee seen in several of the images you mention.

You are right that there is something fishy about the Classic photo. The original is from Jim Crow's collection and shows the band to appear all black. The Classic image has been photoshopped to give the appearance of the red and black chequer tailband. No problem with that, though only if you do not state this in the caption - a definite publishing no-no / faux pas.

Finally, there is another Crow photo taken of the starboard side whereby the red and black / two-tone grey scale image is visible.

Cheers,

David

PS: Hard to believe that seven (7!) years has passed since the first meeting of the Luftwaffeforschungsamt-Amsterdam met in February 1999. Long overdue for another don't you all agree?

Of course I can understand inconsistency between different photos, even on different sides, but this is the same shot. I'd be extremely surprised if they could have managed a film or even filter change. Besides that would not explain the continued pattern of camouflage.

IMHO either the starboard (right side for the most of us) had an unfinished chequer and some people were creative enough to finish for them on the through retouching or in modern times photoshopping, or the opposite is true and camouflage was added (which doesn't make sense).

Even the photos of the port side look to have a messy pattern, either through having been a rush job, or again some inconsistency - perhaps even post war imagination??

But I am not willing to speculate on the port side, the starboard side is proving to be challenging enough, and I think you will agree with me that pictures say more than a thousand words.

Please understand that I do not want to breach any copyright laws, these scans are purely to illustrate what is proving to be an interesting enigma.

__________________Ruy Horta12 O'Clock High!

And now I see with eye serene
The very pulse of the machine;
A being breathing thoughtful breath,
A traveller between life and death;